IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the editor for Jan. 3, 2013

Published: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 11:46 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 11:46 p.m.

Thanks, Sheriff Dean

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation and thanks for Sheriff Ed Dean's outstanding leadership and vision during his tenure in office.

As a citizen of Marion County, I'm so very proud of our sheriff's department. The many accolades, acknowledgements and honors it has received over the course of Sheriff Dean's term attest to his personal dedication and diligence and his ability to influence his very professional corps of deputies, corrections officers and sundry staff.

Of further note is the great level of fiscal stewardship he demonstrated that allowed appropriated and allocated pecuniary resources to be returned to the county because of his careful and measured utilization of public funds, all while still taking his department to ever higher heights in professionalism and policing our large county area. This action relieved much of the stress and tension Marion County government had been facing due to tight budget constraints.

I had the pleasure of personally witnessing Sheriff Dean in action while serving on the MCSO Citizens' Advisory Committee in 2011.

Thank you, Sheriff Dean!

Frank M. Rasbury

Ocala

‘Perfect' gun control

My job required living and working in numerous Third World countries for about 15 years. In one instance, we lived in a country with “perfect gun control.” There it was illegal for a citizen or visitor to own firearms of any kind. The federal government had the absolute unlimited power of search and seizure of your person and property.

It was a beautiful day when I, my wife and three young children descended in our car down the narrow tree-lined roadway from the top of a spectacular mountain. Suddenly, on both sides of the road, we saw the federal army had stopped about 10 cars and was conducting searches. People were out of their cars and were being thoroughly patted down. Seats were pulled and slashed open with knives.

The three young men with machine guns pointed at our heads appeared to be about 14. Although we had that country's license plates on our car, we carried only our U.S. driver's licenses. The ranking officer indicated to my wife to roll down her window. We pretended to be “dumb tourists” and I butchered the language while handing him our driver's licenses. Finally, frustrated, he motioned for us to open the glove compartment. Out fell a roll of toilet paper. He laughed and motioned us to pass through!

Every family and co-worker we knew there had guns in order to protect themselves from corrupt police and criminals. The U.S. could adopt this system. Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

Steven J. Aufderheide

Dunnellon

Religion and guns in schools

I must have been on another planet when, as one letter writer states, religion in public schools has been prohibited for two centuries.

I went to public school and when we had assemblies, we had a Jewish principal read out of the King James Bible to a school that was 75 percent Catholic. We also had clubs that were religious.

If the writer does not like what he reads in the Ocala Star-Banner, start your own newspaper!

Also, no one needs automatic weapons. If you want to use them, join the service. I guarantee you will get your fill of them.

Years ago, sometime late 1960s, I got a call not to come to work because of the riots in the street. They started in the south and spread to north. We went out and bought a .22-caliber rifle. We never needed it. But we will buy one if the government says we cannot — just in case someone comes on our property looking for trouble.

My daughter works for a school, and she is the first person who sees people coming in. Some people get upset because sometimes she has to chase them to get them to sign in. Someone in the office should have a gun.

Oh yes, when I went to school we had monitors and locked doors. I went to New York City schools.

Barbara Volkomer

Ocala

Dangerous politics

First, picture in your mind all the people of China, Europe, Mexico, India, the United States and the rest of the world. Got it? Now, with the fiscal cliff lurking and our economy set to go into a recession, our national debt for the U.S. alone is $2,428 dollars for every man, woman and child on this planet (17 trillion [national debt] divided by 7 billion [population of the planet]).

These, of course, are estimated numbers, not exact numbers, but you get the picture, I hope. And now the Democrats want to increase the national debt. President Obama wants to increase the taxes on the wealthy to “pay their fair share.”

Redistribution of wealth is not only a socialist idea, but is also communist in nature. Obama will not budge on his idea of taxing the rich at much higher rates. The House has already agreed to an increase of taxes on people making more than $450,000 dollars. This is stupid.

C'mon. The House, Senate, and White House need to quit playing politics, and get this country back where it is supposed to be.

Dick Meadows

Ocala

Right to bear arms

I am in complete agreement with our Founding Fathers on the right to bear arms. I believe that every sane, able-bodied American should be able to own one muzzle-loading, flintlock musket!

<p><b>Thanks, Sheriff Dean</b></p><p>I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation and thanks for Sheriff Ed Dean's outstanding leadership and vision during his tenure in office.</p><p>As a citizen of Marion County, I'm so very proud of our sheriff's department. The many accolades, acknowledgements and honors it has received over the course of Sheriff Dean's term attest to his personal dedication and diligence and his ability to influence his very professional corps of deputies, corrections officers and sundry staff.</p><p>Of further note is the great level of fiscal stewardship he demonstrated that allowed appropriated and allocated pecuniary resources to be returned to the county because of his careful and measured utilization of public funds, all while still taking his department to ever higher heights in professionalism and policing our large county area. This action relieved much of the stress and tension Marion County government had been facing due to tight budget constraints.</p><p>I had the pleasure of personally witnessing Sheriff Dean in action while serving on the MCSO Citizens' Advisory Committee in 2011.</p><p>Thank you, Sheriff Dean!</p><p><i>Frank M. Rasbury</p><p>Ocala </i></p><p><b>'Perfect' gun control</b></p><p>My job required living and working in numerous Third World countries for about 15 years. In one instance, we lived in a country with “perfect gun control.” There it was illegal for a citizen or visitor to own firearms of any kind. The federal government had the absolute unlimited power of search and seizure of your person and property.</p><p>It was a beautiful day when I, my wife and three young children descended in our car down the narrow tree-lined roadway from the top of a spectacular mountain. Suddenly, on both sides of the road, we saw the federal army had stopped about 10 cars and was conducting searches. People were out of their cars and were being thoroughly patted down. Seats were pulled and slashed open with knives.</p><p>The three young men with machine guns pointed at our heads appeared to be about 14. Although we had that country's license plates on our car, we carried only our U.S. driver's licenses. The ranking officer indicated to my wife to roll down her window. We pretended to be “dumb tourists” and I butchered the language while handing him our driver's licenses. Finally, frustrated, he motioned for us to open the glove compartment. Out fell a roll of toilet paper. He laughed and motioned us to pass through!</p><p>Every family and co-worker we knew there had guns in order to protect themselves from corrupt police and criminals. The U.S. could adopt this system. Unfortunately, it doesn't work.</p><p><i>Steven J. Aufderheide</p><p>Dunnellon</i></p><p><b>Religion and guns in schools</b></p><p>I must have been on another planet when, as one letter writer states, religion in public schools has been prohibited for two centuries.</p><p>I went to public school and when we had assemblies, we had a Jewish principal read out of the King James Bible to a school that was 75 percent Catholic. We also had clubs that were religious.</p><p>If the writer does not like what he reads in the Ocala Star-Banner, start your own newspaper!</p><p>Also, no one needs automatic weapons. If you want to use them, join the service. I guarantee you will get your fill of them.</p><p>Years ago, sometime late 1960s, I got a call not to come to work because of the riots in the street. They started in the south and spread to north. We went out and bought a .22-caliber rifle. We never needed it. But we will buy one if the government says we cannot — just in case someone comes on our property looking for trouble.</p><p>My daughter works for a school, and she is the first person who sees people coming in. Some people get upset because sometimes she has to chase them to get them to sign in. Someone in the office should have a gun.</p><p>Oh yes, when I went to school we had monitors and locked doors. I went to New York City schools.</p><p><i>Barbara Volkomer</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Dangerous politics</b></p><p>First, picture in your mind all the people of China, Europe, Mexico, India, the United States and the rest of the world. Got it? Now, with the fiscal cliff lurking and our economy set to go into a recession, our national debt for the U.S. alone is $2,428 dollars for every man, woman and child on this planet (17 trillion [national debt] divided by 7 billion [population of the planet]).</p><p>These, of course, are estimated numbers, not exact numbers, but you get the picture, I hope. And now the Democrats want to increase the national debt. President Obama wants to increase the taxes on the wealthy to “pay their fair share.”</p><p>Redistribution of wealth is not only a socialist idea, but is also communist in nature. Obama will not budge on his idea of taxing the rich at much higher rates. The House has already agreed to an increase of taxes on people making more than $450,000 dollars. This is stupid.</p><p>C'mon. The House, Senate, and White House need to quit playing politics, and get this country back where it is supposed to be.</p><p><i>Dick Meadows</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Right to bear arms</b></p><p>I am in complete agreement with our Founding Fathers on the right to bear arms. I believe that every sane, able-bodied American should be able to own one muzzle-loading, flintlock musket!</p><p>Thirty- and 100-round clips? CRAZY!</p><p><i>Charley McIntyre</p><p>Summerfield</i></p>